phosrpgportalfandomcom-20200214-history
Khajiit Spirituality
Khajiit worship no gods, but rather whisper to the elemental spirits which they believe are constantly flowing throughout the universe. Those who are attuned with the spirit world can hear their voices upon the wind, feel their presence rising from the ground, a see them move within the flickering fire. To the Khajiit, the spirits are constantly pushing and pulling as one walks the path of fate. Much like the travelers one meets on any journey, some spirits offer aid and others only intend to lead one astray. The quality of one’s life largely depends upon how closely a Khajiit walks his or her path. The Great Eye in the Night The Moon, sometimes referred to as the Great Eye in the Night, is believed to be the Khajiit’s Keeper of Fate for only it truly knows the truth of one’s path. Although the Great Eye never speaks of its secrets directly to the Khajiit, the spirits sometimes carry the Keeper’s message. Khajiit seers often speak with these spirits to glean hints about the future for clan mates. A reading is performed by placing one’s hands over another’s and channeling the spirits between the two. Clan Mothers are exceptionally gifted seers and capable of divining the whole clan’s destiny at once. Much like the Great Eye, the Clan Mother only shares these secrets with the Mane in order to steer the clan towards its destiny. Spirit Reading and the Five Aspects The typical reading is much like a fortune telling and centers around five aspects: Wealth, Fame, Spirit, Honor, and Life. Wealth does not necessarily mean coin or treasure as Khajiit often have little need of such things within the clan. Instead, wealth may mean having many offspring as Khajiit have strong family values. It may also mean an abundance of game to hunt, or any combination of things that inspire envy. The aspect of Fame only determines how well one will be known in the future. By itself, this aspect does not determine whether one will be revered or despised. The aspect of Spirit is the determination of one’s attunement with the spirit world. Honor is a testament to how one will act throughout his life; whether he treats others fairly or uses them for his own personal gain. It is the second most important aspect of a reading and strongly influences the reading’s outcome. The final aspect, Life, determines one’s longevity and health. Spirit Channeling vs. Spell Casting The Khajiit attain magical powers in a very different manner than the rest of the world. In fact, their methods of channeling universal energies seems to have more in common with priestly or druidic powers as it is strongly tied to their spirituality. While Khajiit seers require extensive training in order to harness these spirit energies, there are no universities or colleges in Khajiit society from which to learn. Such knowledge is typically only obtained directly from the tutelage of the elders. The few spirit scrolls that exist are meant only to compliment their instruction. Even after years of training, the spirits only lend their aid to a few. Those who do not have their favor can never channel their energy. Khajiit Spirit Channeling is not derivative or formulaic like Spell Casting. A channeled power cannot be simply read from a scroll, activated from a wand, or enchanted upon an item. The complex motions involved during a channeling are essential and must be performed with precision. When a Khajiit performs a channeling, he draws from the spirit energies that surround him and from those that reside within. The spirits themselves are never consumed during a channeling, but rather willingly lend their power to the seer. From the Khajiit point of view, Arcana only exists through the abuse of spirit energies. While a Khajiit seer or Clan Mother must first be permitted to use a spirit’s energy, a Wizard simply takes it at his whim whether it is freely given or not. This reckless domination over the spirits is appalling to the Khajiit and Arcane practice is strictly banned throughout their society. Souls and the Spirits Khajiit believe that spirits exist within all things, and their existence precludes the possibility of souls. To a Khajiit, the internal essence of a person is not defined as a soul, but rather as one or more spirits. These spirits within, as they are sometimes called, may be either of similar or differing elements. How these spirits work together within a person determines the character of that person. Those who are successful in life are those whose spirits within are in balance while the less fortunate are believed to have unbalanced spirits. In rare individuals where the spirits within form strong bonds, the physical and mental attributes of a person are elevated. People who are capable of great deeds or exude confidence beyond the ordinary are considered to be in touch with their spirits within. Likewise, an individual may be maligned by warring spirits within and display all manner of physical and social issues. Death and Spirituality Although every Khajiit clan has their own customs and rituals when honoring the dead, all hold the common belief that the spirits within are released when a life is extinguished. Spirits released upon death are known as free spirits for they are no longer bound to a vessel and are able to roam the physical world without restriction. Although these spirits contain the fragmented memories of the beings they once took residence in, even the most experienced seers find that they are initially difficult to communicate with. This is due to the sudden transition from restriction to freedom--a very confusing and vulnerable time for a spirit. Some are even unaware that the transition has occurred, which is usually the case in tragic and unexpected demise. In accordance with their Tenets, Khajiit are often compelled to protect these newly released spirits by guiding them back to places of safety. Usually, this means returning the spirits to familiar areas, perhaps where their corporal forms once resided or with former loved ones. The most direct way of guiding these spirits is to the bodies of the fallen to their families, entreating the spirits to follow. This is not always the most practical method and is usually avoided except in cases of deep personal connection. For example, a Khajiit would rarely concern himself to guide a spirit of a fallen enemy but would risk great injury to guide a spirits of a fallen friend or loved one. Instead, Khajiit have found that using small totems, runestones, or personal affects are an effective alternative in many cases. For this purpose, all Khajiit carry a small totem that represents their essence. In situations where the totem is absent, carved runestones may be placed along the path from the remains to safety. Although personal affects can be just as effective as totems, it is often difficult to judge items that hold meaning to the spirits. Free and Wandering Spirits Newly released spirits are often hesitant to explore their new found freedom and tend to linger very closely to the spot where they were released. Gradually over time, if gone unnoticed by outside forces, the spirit will wander aimlessly until it finds something or someone to follow. Wandering spirits move from purpose to purpose at their own discretion, gaining and expending their energies as they see fit. Those that choose to expend all their energy recede back into the Spirit World where they await to be drawn back into the physical world either through channeling, by force, or with the creation of a new life. Spirits that choose not to expend their energy feast upon the vast bounty of the physical world, gaining power and knowledge throughout this continued existence. Eventually, they gain enough energy to manifest as elementals or other such beings and become capable of direct interaction. These powerful spirits are capable of moving between the Spirit World and the physical world freely until they expend all their energy, are vanquished, bound, or banished. Category: Evernight Religion